average home price
Photo by Milan Seitler on Unsplash

Buying a home is one of the most important milestones someone might make in their adult life – and it can be one of the most expensive. Besides initial home prices, the homeowner has to contend with heating and cooling costs, regular maintenance, and sometimes unexpected repairs. Therefore, having a little wiggle room in the budget can be critical to owning a home and not having the home own you.

But is it possible to create that wiggle room where you live, or is the cost of the average home too close to the average income? We explore both, gleaning data from Zillow on the average price of a three-bedroom home as of March 2017, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2018 occupational employment and wage estimates. Read on to see how your state fares compared to the rest.

(Louisiana, Maryland, and Vermont are missing from this list, as there was not enough home value data for this time frame to include them.)

The Average Home Price in Each State — Which Is Most Expensive?

48. West Virginia

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $104,200
  • Annual Mean Wage: $42,370
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 2.46 times the annual mean wage

47. Oklahoma

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $115,600
  • Annual Mean Wage: $44,220
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 2.61 times the annual mean wage

46. Alabama

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $119,300
  • Annual Mean Wage: $43,790
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 2.72 times the annual mean wage

45. Mississippi

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $119,900
  • Annual Mean Wage: $39,420
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.04 times the annual mean wage

Mortgage shopping? See if your credit is in good shape BEFORE you apply and fix errors with Upturn Credit.

44. Ohio

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $121,400
  • Annual Mean Wage: $48,220
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 2.52 times the annual mean wage

43. Indiana

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $125,800
  • Annual Mean Wage: $45,290
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 2.78 times the annual mean wage

42. Kansas

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $130,600
  • Annual Mean Wage: $45,280
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 2.88 times the annual mean wage

41. Kentucky

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $132,500
  • Annual Mean Wage: $43,210
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.07 times the annual mean wage

40. Arkansas

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $137,200
  • Annual Mean Wage: $41,540
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.30 times the annual mean wage

39. Arizona

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $141,100
  • Annual Mean Wage: $49,290
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 2.86 times the annual mean wage

38. Georgia

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $142,800
  • Annual Mean Wage: $48,280
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 2.96 times the annual mean wage

37. Missouri

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $146,500
  • Annual Mean Wage: $46,460
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.15 times the annual mean wage

36. Iowa

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $147,400
  • Annual Mean Wage: $46,150
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.19 times the annual mean wage

35. North Carolina

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $150,700
  • Annual Mean Wage: $47,200
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.19 times the annual mean wage

34. South Carolina

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $150,900
  • Annual Mean Wage: $43,210
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.49 times the annual mean wage

33. Nebraska

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $151,300
  • Annual Mean Wage: $46,710
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.24 times the annual mean wage

32. New York

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $152,800
  • Annual Mean Wage: $61,870
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 2.47 times the annual mean wage

31. Texas

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $152,900
  • Annual Mean Wage: $49,720
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.08 times the annual mean wage

30. Pennsylvania

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $154,500
  • Annual Mean Wage: $50,030
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.09 times the annual mean wage

29. Tennessee

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $155,100
  • Annual Mean Wage: $44,660
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.47 times the annual mean wage

28. Michigan

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $162,100
  • Annual Mean Wage: $49,510
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.27 times the annual mean wage

27. Illinois

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $171,400
  • Annual Mean Wage: $53,790
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.19 times the annual mean wage

26. South Dakota

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $171,500
  • Annual Mean Wage: $41,800
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 4.10 times the annual mean wage

25. Wisconsin

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $172,500
  • Annual Mean Wage: $47,350
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.64 times the annual mean wage

24. New Mexico

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $184,200
  • Annual Mean Wage: $45,400
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 4.06 times the annual mean wage

23. Idaho

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $196,600
  • Annual Mean Wage: $43,480
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 4.52 times the annual mean wage

22. Florida

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $201,000
  • Annual Mean Wage: $46,010
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 4.37 times the annual mean wage

21. Virginia

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $209,900
  • Annual Mean Wage: $55,310
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.79 times the annual mean wage

20. Delaware

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $210,100
  • Annual Mean Wage: $53,320
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.94 times the annual mean wage

19. Minnesota

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $214,800
  • Annual Mean Wage: $54,200
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.96 times the annual mean wage

18. Montana

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $219,100
  • Annual Mean Wage: $43,860
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 5.00 times the annual mean wage

17. Maine

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $221,400
  • Annual Mean Wage: $46,810
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 4.73 times the annual mean wage

16. North Dakota

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $222,600
  • Annual Mean Wage: $49,620
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 4.49 times the annual mean wage

15. Connecticut

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $224,000
  • Annual Mean Wage: $60,780
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 3.69 times the annual mean wage

14. Wyoming

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $225,200
  • Annual Mean Wage: $48,630
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 4.63 times the annual mean wage

13. Nevada

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $226,100
  • Annual Mean Wage: $46,170
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 4.90 times the annual mean wage

12. Rhode Island

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $249,200
  • Annual Mean Wage: $54,810
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 4.55 times the annual mean wage

11. New Hampshire

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $253,500
  • Annual Mean Wage: $52,350
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 4.84 times the annual mean wage

10. Utah

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $262,500
  • Annual Mean Wage: $47,920
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 5.48 times the annual mean wage

9. Oregon

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $298,400
  • Annual Mean Wage: $52,000
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 5.74 times the annual mean wage

8. Alaska

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $316,800
  • Annual Mean Wage: $58,710
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 5.40 times the annual mean wage

7. Washington

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $324,400
  • Annual Mean Wage: $59,410
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 5.46 times the annual mean wage

6. New Jersey

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $343,400
  • Annual Mean Wage: $58,210
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 5.90 times the annual mean wage

5. Massachusetts

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $349,300
  • Annual Mean Wage: $63,910
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 5.47 times the annual mean wage

4. Colorado

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $329,900
  • Annual Mean Wage: $55,820
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 5.91 times the annual mean wage

3. California

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $467,500
  • Annual Mean Wage: $59,150
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 7.90 times the annual mean wage

2. District of Columbia

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $581,800
  • Annual Mean Wage: $87,920
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 6.62 times the annual mean wage

1. Hawaii

  • Cost of a three-bedroom home: $605,800
  • Annual Mean Wage: $52,900
  • The average three-bedroom home costs 11.45 times the annual mean wage

Mortgage shopping? Get the facts about buying with credit, see if your credit is in good shape BEFORE you apply, and fix errors with Upturn Credit.